2021 NBA Redraft: Does Evan Mobley go first overall this time?
Scottie Barnes. 4. player. 81. . Forward. Toronto Raptors
Last year’s Rookie of the Year has had a more difficult second season, which could be said for any of his Toronto Raptors teammates as the entire roster has taken a step back this year. With that being said, he is still averaging 15.4 points per game and 35.3 minutes per game on a team with a positive point differential; the struggle has been more against expectations than the revelation of a bad player.
The Toronto Raptors go right back to the well here and take Barnes in our redraft. He is still long, strong and versatile defensively; he has improved as a passer and as an interior scorer. His jumper has regressed, and shooting continues to be the greatest concern for him (30.2 percent from 3 this year) but he brings a lot of value to the table and fits what the Raptors like in a prospect.
38. . Shooting Guard. Orlando Magic. Jalen Green. 5. player
There is a case for Jalen Green to land as high as fourth in a ranking of the 2021 draftees, or to fall to the bottom of the lottery. The good? He is an explosive scorer, with the ability to get hot at any moment and the potential to develop into a player who can essentially ignore defense and get his shot up against anyone. His 21.5 points per game this season leads the class by far.
The bad? He is amassing those point totals playing for the closest thing the NBA has to the Washington Generals. He is shooting just 41.1 percent from the field and 33.6 percent from 3-point range. Despite having the ball in his hands on a largely spaced-out floor, Green is averaging just 3.9 assists versus 2.8 turnovers. He is a turnstile on defense, has a myriad of bad habits and the Rockets are a trainwreck this year yet again.
Still, the upside is very real, and on-ball shot creation is the rarest skill in the league. The Orlando Magic take the swing here, hoping to give Green a strong environment to grow in and mold him into a 1B kind of star player on the wing. If Green doesn’t start to change his profile from “inefficient chucker” to “dangerous score-first guard” then he will plummet down this redraft a year from now.